After Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s departure from Bangladesh, the country has descended into chaos, with minority Hindus bearing the brunt of widespread violence and looting. What began as protests against a government job quota system have escalated into a full-blown crisis, leaving the nation’s Hindu community vulnerable to attacks.
Reports indicate that Hindu temples, homes, and businesses have been targeted in at least 27 districts across Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council has documented 54 separate attacks on Hindu establishments. An ISKCON temple in Meherpur, situated in Bangladesh’s Khulna division, along with a Kali temple, was vandalized and set ablaze. The Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre, which promotes Indo-Bangladesh cultural exchange, was also among the targets.
Tragically, Hindu political figures have fallen victim to the violence. Haradhan Roy, a Hindu councillor of the Rangpur City Corporation, was reportedly killed on Sunday, one of the deadliest days since the protests began. Another councillor, Kajal Roy, was also said to have been lynched.
The scale of the current attacks on Hindus is the most severe since 2021 when similar violence erupted following Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh. Hindu community leaders express fear of further attacks, with Monindra Kumar Nath, a senior official of the Hindu organization Oikya Parishad, voicing concerns about the safety and future of Hindus in the country.
The situation in Bangladesh is dire, with a student protest leader who contributed to the downfall of Hasina raising concerns about ongoing violence against Hindus.
In a DW News interview, student leader Prapti Taposhi stated that the removal of Hasina was only a partial victory since the violence against Hindus persists, and the military, currently governing the country, fails to safeguard the Hindu minority.
The situation has raised alarms about the long-term safety of Bangladesh’s Hindu population, which has declined from 22% in 1951 to about 8% today. Human rights organizations estimate that over 11 million Hindus fled Bangladesh due to religious persecution between 1964 and 2013.
